Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley

I went for lunch today at chose the set lunch menu for £38. The amuse bouche was delicious and wetted my tastebuds for the main meal to come. For starters I had the Foie gras ballotine, lime salt, Dorset crab, Braeburn apple, pearl tapioca, coriander cress. Main was Pan fried fillets of lemon sole, crisp rye bread, lardo, celeriac, hazelnut crumbs. The pre-dessert was served and then the dessert of Pan fried fillets of lemon sole, crisp rye bread, lardo, celeriac, hazelnut crumbs. The meal was finished off with a seclection of homemade chocolates.

Overall, the meal was delicious and cooked with classical elegance. The decour was opulent and the service was efficient but discreet (a waiter even turned my butter around so that the unused side was facing me!). I even got a tour of the kitchen and met Marcus himself! I would definitely recommend a visit and I hope to go there again soon.
Comment on this reader review

Mr CM - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Marcus Wareing was a fantastic dining experience. We had the full tasting menu with matched wines. It was a lot of food (and wine!), but we managed to roll out fat and happy. Of all the Michelin starred restaurants in London, this has been my favorite (even better than mentor Ramsay's flagship on Royal Hospital Rd).
Comment on this reader review

Brad
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, December 06, 2009

Where can I start? I have been to this restaurant or three previous occasions prior to my most recent visit earlier this month - twice to the former Petrus and once after it became Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley. On my three earlier visit I have thought this to be one of the finest restaurants I have dined at (only to be surpassed by Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at 68 Royal Hospital Road) and have always been amazed by the outstanding quality and technical brilliance of the many great dishes I have been fortunate enough to enjoy. Not to add the impeccable service and the various complimentary amuse bouches’ I have been able to sample have always been the highlight of any meal I have enjoyed here. With great regret that’s where my positive feedback ends.

Following my most recent visit I have been left hugely disappointed with my experience of both the food and the unfortunate impression it has left on my palate. I say ‘unfortunate’ because in the past I have held this restaurant in very high regards and I am mindful now that I am left with one less option on my list of favourite restaurants I can look forward to dining at.

Let’s talk about the food - The amuse bouche of carrot soup with a liquorice foam was ok – hardly as tasty as the sweet corn or pumpkin soups I’ve had in the past. The starter of mushroom risotto was in all fairness very good and closely matched the quality of what I would have expected. My mains were most disappointing – a red mullet dish that had a very fishy taste and smell to it. The worst aspect was the dish was way too salty – it almost seemed as though if the fish had swam its way through salty water before it reached the table. The waiter on noticing the unfinished plate of food did ask whether there was a problem and in fairness offered to redo a new plate or the choice of a different dish but I was no longer keen on this as I had been put off so politely declined.

The pre desserts were again disappointing with a bitter taste and no way as good as those I’ve had in the past. This followed with dessert which was good and as I probably expected.

Usually, at the conclusion of my meals I would have sat around to enjoy the bonbon trolley over a coffee but on this occasion I did not wait around to indulge in this.

Would I visit again? That’s a difficult one as on the one hand I have a principle whereby I refuse to return to any restaurant where I have a bad experience with either the food or service. Normally this would apply but in this instance, because my past experiences at this restaurant have been so great and the fact that I have considered this restaurant as one of my favourites, I am reluctant to write it off just yet. I would therefore conclude that I will probably visit once again in the future and see whether I can isolate this recent disappointing visit as a one off occurrence. I am hoping my next visit is brilliant because I really want to be able to go to this restaurant and enjoy an experience similar to those I’ve had in the past. Please Marcus Wareing and the team – let this be a one off!

My dining companion on the other hand seemed to enjoy all their courses finishing off every last morsel with each course that was served. Now whether this was due to them having missed breakfast or that they have an underprivileged palate I remain unsure and therefore I am unable to say!
Comment on this reader review

Babu Lal
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Went here for a Friday lunch a few weeks ago. Was impressed from the moment I emailed them for a reservation, to receive a prompt response confirming the booking, followed by another phone call the day before checking we still wanted the booking. The staff were, throughout the meal exemplary, courses cleared away with barely noticing the staff, questions asked and food brought at the right times. We went for the set lunch menu (three courses), being our first time here, deciding that we would come back if we enjoyed it. Instead of choosing a wine for the meal, the sommelier chose us a glass of wine each for each course which I have to say were reasonably priced and very high quality. The food itself looked scarce, but the tastes of the food were so good, and some rich ingredients used, that not much was required. The cheese course (extra cost) between main and dessert was very special - an amazing selection of cheeses with good explanations of what each one was.

I cannot recommend this restaurant enough, the amuse bouche between courses were also very special, and the staff amongst the most professionally capable but also friendly that I have come across in the world.

Given the two michelin stars, the quality of the service, food and drink I think that even expensive for a lunch meal, this did represent reasonable value for money.
Comment on this reader review

David K
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, November 05, 2009

Visited for anniversary - very disappointed.

Starters - ok. Mains - too salty, neither of us finished our dishes. Dessert- palate hadn't recovered.

The waiters were quite uninterested in our half full plates and my polite comment that chef may wish to hold back on the salt.

The wine was good and reasonably priced but the food, just lacked taste other than salt.
Comment on this reader review

Bella
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Monday, October 19, 2009

My fiance and I have been to this wonderful restaurant for our special Big "0" birthdays. What a treat! Honestly? The best meal I have ever had! The staff were exemplary, nothing was too much trouble, and an opportunity to meet the chef, Mr Wareing himself, was a really great touch.

We are going back to celebrate our wedding later this year - can't recommend it enough!
Comment on this reader review

Ann
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Service - was good not great.

Food - starters were good, mains were bland, dessert was ok.

Decor - ok.

Set lunch - good value for money
Comment on this reader review

Mitch
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Monday, August 31, 2009

Loved this restaurant! Food was excellent and the service was really friendly. It was my friend's birthday and they even gave her a birthday dessert . Will definitely be coming back again. The set lunch menu we had was very good value for money given it was 3 course with 2 pre starters and 1 pre dessert together with chocolate truffles
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Monday, August 17, 2009

Pretty good. We left somewhat disappointed because the food was too heavy and plentiful to enjoy - especially on a summer evening (there was no evidence of the season on the menu). Most dishes on the menu gourmand would have benefited from being half the size and perhaps an ingredient less. That said, the lobster and quail were outstanding.

Service was pleasant and efficient. Agree that the room was 'clubby' - and strangely full of birthday diners and people who couldn't believe their 'luck' at being given a tour of the kitchen. On a similar note, we found it bizarre that a restaurant like this prints 'amuse bouche' and 'pre-dessert' on the menu. I'd go again, but only if The Square, Pied a Terre and Le Gavroche were fully booked.
Comment on this reader review

Tom
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Saturday, August 15, 2009

First visit here since it was Petrus, and I guess we were wondering whether it would live up to the reviews. The answer, for us at least and based on today's meal, is that it does. And whilst I may not feel that its better than Gordon Ramsay at RHR then it's pretty close and I suspect that for many the choice between them may rest on their particular selection and individual dishes rather than an overall clear advantage one way or the other.

My wife and daughter chose the set lunch and came away with the impression that their meal (£35/3 courses) was a fair reflection of what the restaurant was capable of. This is becoming something of a rarity for many "lunchtime menus" we've had in the last year have borne little relation to the style and quality of the main menu. The food? well every single item they brought to us -(and with two amuses bouches, a pre-dessert, and chocolates there were in effect seven items for each person) was positively enjoyed by each of us. No misses. No "okays" No "fines" One simply can't take issue with the quality of ingredients or cooking. The breads are good, the coffee's decent; there really wasn't anything to whine about at all.

The premises look different from most of the other highly rated restaurants we've eaten at in London. Darker, clubby, more male than the current fashion I think. The staff were pleasant and attentive and the meal was timed pretty perfectly. A couple of timy comments concerning the wine list . The list itself is a big heavy book. Its like choosing wallpaper-not comfortable to use. The second is that the wines themselves are a bit expensive- little under £40 . But the overwhelming feelings here are positive and they can be sure that we'll be back
Comment on this reader review

David Henderson - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, August 12, 2009